Nicolas Winding Refn Wants to Make a VALHALLA RISING Sequel Set in Tokyo

Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn is not one to repeat himself. Each of his films strikes new territory for the Danish director, whether it be Bronson, Drive, or the upcoming dialogue-light Only God Forgives. However, it appears that Refn is keen on making another sequel to one of his films (he previously helmed the Pusher trilogy), but the follow-up and the nature of its story both come as a bit of a surprise. The filmmaker recently revealed that he wants to reteam with Mads Mikkelsen for a sequel to his 2009 Viking film Valhalla Rising, but the follow-up would find Mikkelsen’s character in Tokyo. Hit the jump for more on this strange yet exciting prospect.

Refn recently took part in a Q&A for his upcoming Ryan Gosling re-team Only God Forgives, and after the event the folks at The Playlist caught up with the filmmaker and asked him to elaborate on previous comments that he was developing a film set in Tokyo. Little did we know that said Tokyo-set film is actually a sequel to Valhalla Rising:

We spoke to Refn on the eve of the North American premiere for Only God Forgives and he revealed that project was a re-teaming with Valhalla Rising star Mads Mikkelsen, saying they had, “talked about revisiting the [One-Eye] character from Valhalla Rising again to kind of complete… because there’s a similarity between Valhalla Rising, Drive and Only God Forgives. But in a way I had this idea of Mads Mikklesen to go back to the origins of this character. But make the movie in Tokyo.”

While the idea of Refn working with Mikkelsen again is certainly exciting, one has to wonder just how Mads’ One-Eye character from the 1000 AD-set Valhalla Rising could find himself in Tokyo. When pressed for details, Refn only said that the proposed follow-up is “about the future.” Sold, good sir.

Refn is presumably still planning on making the horror/thriller I Walk with the Dead as his follow-up to Only God Forgives, which received a less-than-pleasant response when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. I’m definitely intrigued by the prospect of returning to the world of Valhalla Rising in an entirely new setting, but Mikkelsen is due back to start filming the second season of the incredible NBC drama series Hannibal later this year, so the earliest production could begin on Valhalla Rising 2 should Refn decide to follow through on it would be late next spring.

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